No snow in paradise: Ski resorts in Europe shut shop right at the beginning of the year

As Europe ushered in the new year with record-breaking temperatures, some low-level ski resorts have been forced to closedowndue to unseasonably warm weather and a lack of snowfall. Fears about the impact of climate change on several mountain villages that rely on winter tourism have been rekindled by these bare mountainsides.Numerous European countries have already smashed their January temperature records withmeteorologistsdescribing it as "hard to comprehend."

Why is Europe experiencing a record-breaking warm winter? Will things ease off or worsen in the coming years? We take a closer look.

Feels like summer: Winter in Europe this year

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On New Year's Day this year, eight European nations reported having their hottest January day ever. On the same day, a meteorological station in the Jura mountain range near the French border documented a record-breaking average daily temperature of 18.1 degrees Celsius.

French weather forecaster,Meteo France reports that the last quarter of the year had the highest temperatures in the country in 25 years,reportsSky News.Similar trends were observed in Switzerland, where a meteorological station in the Jura range recorded a record daily average temperature of 18.1C on January 1.

In recent days, Poland has experienced daily high temperatures in the double digits.

According to The Guardian, which cited MeteoSwiss, Switzerland's official meteorological and climate service, temperatures on the north side of the Alps are "worthy of June" due to a Foehn effect and a light south-westerly breeze.

London-based meteorologist Scott Duncan tweeted on New Year's Day: "We just observed the warmest January day on record for many countries in Europe. Truly unprecedented in modern records."

Ski resorts shutting down

There is not enough snow at Lenggries, Germany, Villars-Sur-Ollon, and Crans-Montana in Switzerland, as well as Innsbruck, Austria.Numerous ski resorts have shut down or are adjusting to the reality of little or no snow.

“There literally is no snow this year,” Christine Harrison, a long-time visitor of Le Praz De Lys-Sommand, a small ski resort in the French Alps, toldCNN.

Ax 3 Domaines, located close to the French-Andorran border, was one of the most recent resorts to close its slopes due to the warm, rainy weather.

Splugen-Tambo, a resort in Switzerland, also made the decision to close "until further notice" on Monday.“Unfortunately, due to the lack of snow, the heavy rainfall and high temperatures, we have to close our ski resort from 2 January 2023, until further notice,” it said in a statement, as perSky News.

Over half of the 7,500 ski slopes in France have been shut due to “a lack of snow and a lot of rain”, Laurent Reynaud, managing director at Domaines Skiables de France, the national body representing ski resorts, toldCNN Travel.

The snow that is present in these destinations at lower elevations is not appropriate for winter sports.

Hacher Bernet, the director of Splügen’s ski lifts, toldBBC, “It’s really too wet, like in spring. For skiing, the snow needs to hold together – there’s just too much water in this, it’s impossible.”

However, not every area is in the same position.There is ample snow for skiers in French locations that are higher up, such Les Deux Alpes, where 70% of the slopes are over 2,000 metres.

For the time being, Switzerland's top resorts are still operating, but several of them rely largely on artificial snow, as reported by the BBC.

Due to a lack of snow, mid- and low-level resorts in the northern Alps and throughout the Pyrenees are struggling to provide tourists with alternatives.

Is climate change the culprit?

Long-term global warming will result in warmer, wetter winters, according to climate experts.By the end of the century, "skiing in the Alps as we know it is basically going to be over," according to Wim Thiery, a professor of climate science at the University of Brussels who spoke to the Guardian. As long as the climate continues to warm, these issues will only become worse.

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A new research by the University of Basel has warned that higher resorts' reliance on artificial snow will grow, with their water use increasing by as much as 80%.

Additionally, The Alpine climatic scenario is becoming more "volatile," according to weather tracker Wilkin, and will further worsen as the climate catastrophe spreads to Europe, as per CNN reports.

(With inputs from agencies)

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